


The Road to Truth

by LeafyDream



Series: Persona: Dissociative Identity Disorder [1]
Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, Insanity, Mental Health Issues, Multiple Personalities, Mystery, Romance, Shipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-29 22:12:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6395944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeafyDream/pseuds/LeafyDream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First, Naoto would vanish without telling anyone. She'd lie, and Yu was the only one not to buy it. Then she began to make mistakes and zone out in fights, distracted by something that wasn't there. Now she's skipping school. Yu is determined to help her, but how can he face a truth that terrifies the Detective Prince? </p>
<p>Even if he does accept it, how will he be able to help Naoto discover this new, terrifying truth? Sometimes our minds are not just our own...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nothing's Scarier

**Nothing's Scarier**

"This is Naoto Shirogane. I apologize, but I could not come to the phone at the moment. Please leave your name and message's subject and I will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you and goodbye." Beep _._

"Voice mail again?" sighed Rise.

Yu nodded, his face etched into a solemn frown. "This isn't like Naoto. She knew we were meeting after school today. She's usually one of the first here." He turned his head and glanced at Rise and Kanji. "Did she mention to either of you if she was going anywhere after school today?"

The two shook their heads. "Not to me. I think she said she wanted to go over stuff about the case today, so she obviously wanted to come. I have no idea why she isn't here," Rise huffed.

"Class ended, she ran out ahead of us. Thought she wanted to get here early or somethin'," Kanji muttered. "Damn it, where the hell is she?! It's been an hour!"

A soft gasp caught everyone's attention. All eyes drifted towards the raven-haired innkeeper, Yukiko Amagi. She seemed surprised at the sudden attention, but shrugged it off. She looked down at her lap, biting her cheek as she tried to form the proper words. "Guys... Y-you don't think the killer caught her, do you?" she wondered. "Like, what if instead of murdering people by using the TV World, he just decided to do it the old fashion way? And he started with, who he thought, was the biggest threat to him?"

A cold air blew over the group. They could all feel the chill crawling up their spine as paranoia melted into reality. The very real possibility hit all of them, and a tense silence held them all hostage. Could that be what's happening? Was Naoto in danger?

As always, Yu Narukami was able to act as an anchor for the Investigation Team. He stood up from his chair, commanding everyone's attention. "Alright, let's not jump to conclusions," Yu commanded, blowing away the dread and tension. They all listened to him speak, thankful they had his cool head to keep them calm. "Rise, keep calling Naoto. Chie, Yukiko, head back to the school and see if you can find where she went. Yosuke-"

_Pipipipipi!_

The silver-eyed young man looked at his phone, and a wave of relief washed over him when he saw the caller ID. He flipped it open and pressed the speaker button, allowing everyone to hear. "Naoto? Are you there? Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, Senpai. I'm fine." The others visibly relaxed once they heard the sleuth's voice. They smiled and grinned at one another, but Yu didn't join in the silent festivities. He could hear the tremble in Naoto's voice when she spoke. "I apologize for missing the meeting. An emergency came up regarding my grandfather."

"Is everything okay? Do you need help?" inquired Yu.

"N-no, thank you. I'm fine. I'm on my way to the Junes Food Court. I'll be there momentarily." Click. Naoto hung up.

"Man, I hope everything's okay with Naoto's grandpa," Chie murmured.

"Still, it's a good thing she's okay. I've never been so happy to be wrong," mused Yukiko.

But Yu did not share her relief. No, he was just as worried as before. Yu Narukami was an attentive and observant young man, in fact, one of his greatest attributes was his uncanny ability to have the perfect response to any given situation. A part of that ability meant being able to decipher what a person's says and what they're thinking, and he could hear it in Naoto's voice.

She was lying. Her grandfather hadn't called.

Something else had happened...

* * *

A few days later, they were training in the TV World, and seeing as it had the most powerful Shadows at the moment, the group chose to train at the Secret Laboratory where Naoto was once held captive. The others fought valiantly, working together to plow a pathway through the shadowy masses. Yu stood back, observing and giving advice to the others when they needed it. He told them that he wanted to analyze their moves and afterwards he'd suggest ways to improve their fighting styles. This was a lie.

In truth, his focus was on Naoto.

She hadn't been acting normally since her late arrival to their meeting. She'd been late to another two meetings, and when asked why, she would offer some inane lie that Yu could see right through. So he kept his focus on her, observing her every move, trying to understand what was going through her head.

Already he was able to observe something off about her. She wasn't fighting nearly as well as she usually did; she was good, damn good still, but there were little things off about her. She noticed a Shadow a second off, she'd miss the first and second shot, only to get it on the third, she'd barely dodged an attack that, on most days, wouldn't even be close to her... It just didn't seem right. Naoto was distracted. She-

"Naoto! Behind you!" Yu warned, noticing a Shadow leap up from behind her. Naoto didn't move though, as his the warning fell on deaf ears. "Izanagi!" The Persona appeared, impaling the attacking Shadow with his spear. The creature bled ebony slime, before exploding into a dark muck. The masked Persona stood guard over the two as Yu grabbed Naoto's shoulder and gently shook her. "Naoto?"

"Huh?" She blinked. "What is it, Senpai?" She tried to face the older boy, only to nearly fall over. Yu grabbed her arm with his other hand and helped her stay up, keeping her from hitting the ground. "Ah... I-I'm sorry. How clumsy of me. Um... I-is something the matter, Senpai?"

Yu stared at the young woman, his metallic eyes staring into her own cerulean orbs. His eyes glimmered with concern, but all he saw in her eyes was fear and confusion. "You... you spaced out, Naoto."

"Excuse me?"

"You didn't hear me warn you about the Shadow? You didn't notice it sneaking up on you?"

"Shadow? N-no, I must not have. I apologize, I was distracted. It won't happen again." She tried to pull away, and Yu reluctantly allowed it. She slipped out of his grasp and started walking, following the others deeper into the dungeon. "Thank you for the help, Senpai..." She kept her face pointed away and walked with swiftness to her step. She was trying to escape talking to him...

"Are you okay, Naoto?" Yu followed her, keeping up with her quickening pace. She tried to move faster, but a hand latched onto hers and pulled her back. Normally, Naoto would be the type to blush and be embarrassed by the physical contact with a boy. The fact that she wasn't blushing concerned Yu even more. It meant that whatever was bothering her was bad enough to suppress her easily embarrassed nature. "Naoto...'

"Yes, I'm fine. I just thought I saw something earlier. Again, I apologize, Senpai. I'll listen more closely next time..." She tried pulling away, but held firm. She ground her teeth, flashing a glare at him, before hiding it under the rim of her hat.

"Naoto, you know you can talk to me about anything."

"I'm fine, Senpai."

"Whatever's wrong with you-"

"There is nothing wrong with me!" Naoto tore her hand out of Yu's grasp and then ran towards the others, suddenly taking point in their exploration of the dungeon. She left a confused and distraught Yu behind her.

* * *

Naoto didn't come to school today. She texted Rise, and she relayed the message to the rest of the team. She was sick, and just needed time to rest. They accepted the text as truth, but Yu did not. He had asked to see Rise's phone to read the text himself, and she accepted. He examined the message closely and what he found troubled him.

**I'm sick. can't come to school. i'll be fine.**

The message wasn't consistent with Naoto's texting style. She texted in all capitals, with a very direct and business-like fashion to her messages. She didn't make capitalization errors like this or speak in little fragments. The message didn't match up. It wasn't right, and adding onto the previous moments of strange behavior from her, this was the final nail in the coffin.

That was why he was here, marching towards Naoto's home. The best case scenario was that Naoto was telling the truth, and really was sick. If so, he had packed an extra bento box with him and was ready to make sure she ate it. Worst case scenario? Yu wasn't even sure what the worst case could be. He obviously knew something was wrong, but he wasn't like Naoto. He wasn't a detective able to decipher a mystery with just a glance.

But he was Yu Narukami, and no matter what problem was affecting his friend, he intended on helping her. If she wanted to lie to the others, so be it. He'd keep this a secret from them, for now, but he intended on helping her, whether she allowed it or not.

Yu soon reached Naoto's apartment and moved to knock on the door. He went still with dread as his blood went cold. The front door was unlocked and left ajar. _Could someone be inside? Do I call for Naoto? What if she's being attacked at this very moment?!_ Yu considered texting the others, but the faint hope that nothing was wrong kept him from doing so. Instead he pressed a hand against the door and gently pushed it open.

"Naoto?" No answer.

He had never been to Naoto's home before, he had merely walked her home after a rainy day, when she had forgotten her umbrella. That knowledge allowed him to arrive here, at her home, but he had never stepped inside. _Here goes,_ thought Yu.

He peeked inside, silently slipping into the house through the open door. The apartment's design was not very noteworthy. It was a relatively small place, about as big as the downstairs of the Dojima Residence. It had beige walls and carpet flooring, with some basic furniture placed around. The living room and kitchen shared space, with some dirty dishes and a microwave sitting on the counter. What was noteworthy was the mess in the living room.

The place looked like it had been hit by a tornado, to put it harshly. Papers strewn about on the couch, files littering the floor, and, to his shock, various tools on the coffee table, such as a screwdriver, magnifying glass, and a mess of pens. His eyes drifted to and fro, analyzing his surroundings to try and find hints of what had been ailing Naoto of late.

For a brief moment, Yu considered a burglar had broken into the house, but certain visual aides implied otherwise to the young man. Despite the chaos, there was an underline of order to it. A conscious decision to keep one mess here and another mess away from it. It didn't look like someone had broken in, now that he thought about it. It looked more like Naoto had an organization to her chaos. He prayed he was right as he started skulking around.

He spotted something that didn't fit the Detective Prince. One of the papers strewn about on the ground had a drawing on it. He didn't stop to stare, but he could see five figures on the white paper, each one colored differently than the others. Was that the Investigation Team? No, there were too few people... Besides, none of their friends wore all pink or all yellow. He had a vague sense of familiarity with the drawing, but his alert mind couldn't waste time on it.

He moved down a hall, and saw two doors to the left. The closer one was slightly opened, left ajar like the front door had been. The door beside it was closed shut. He inched his way towards them, moving quietly on the carpet floor, but each step heavy with purpose.

His scanning eyes picked up on something new as he walked. Books. There were several books scattered on the floor, placed without order or pattern. Some were opened, while others were closed, showing off their noir hero and whatever mystery they were up against.

Crime novels and mystery stories were to be expected, but Yu noticed some books that didn't fit the theme. They lacked the same signs of wear the mystery novels had, telling him that they were newer purchases, possibly from the bookstore in the Shopping District. He was surprised to find issues of Shonen Jump on the ground, mixed with the mystery stories. He would have thought Naoto would have little care for such 'childish' stories, though he did remind himself that she enjoyed robots and superheroes in her youth. It was part of the reason she had difficulty socializing with the other girls.

_Perhaps it's nostalgia? We all have coping mechanisms for dealing with stress..._

Action mangas aside, the really peculiar books were closer to the doors. They weren't mangas, nor did they have much information on their covers. Just their title and author, nothing more. ' _Sybil?' 'Sybil Exposed?' 'Child Psychology?' 'Mental Disorders?!' Naoto, what's going on?_

He peeked into the open room. It was the bathroom. Everything seemed normal there, leaving only one door left to explore, and judging by the living arrangements, that door led to the bedroom. Yu crept towards it, unnerved by his recent discoveries. His latest one was the realization that the place was strangely quiet. What if Naoto was gone? What if she had been kidnapped again? He was about to reach for his phone, only to pause as the silence was broken.

Laughter.

_Laughing? Who's- Wait, no, that is Naoto's voice._ _Why is she laughing?_ He was close enough to hear through the door, and his blood ran cold as he heard Naoto gasp. _Enough investigating!_ Yu took in a breath and grabbed the doorknob. He twisted it and pushed the door open, determined to understand the mystery the Detective Prince unintentionally baited him with..

**END**


	2. Something's Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is a scary thing.

**Something's Wrong**

Yu found Naoto on her bed, laughing as she held a manga in her hands. There wasn't a mark on her, not a sign of discomfort, not a bruise or a scratch or even a tear down her face. No, she was smiling. He had never seen a smile so wide on her lips before. It was as if someone taken Nanako's delight and excitement and shoved it into Naoto's body.

"N-Naoto?"

Her trademark hat was gone, actually, none of her clothes resembled her usual attire. Naoto was not one for vibrant clothing. Yu had noticed she had a preference for blue, dark attire, yet Naoto wore a bright, red shirt on her body, with the face of... was that Feather Hawk from Phoenix Rangers? She also wore blue shorts, that almost resembled pajamas or boxers. He blinked, as if the sight would vanish when he opened his eyes again. Yet there Naoto laid, reading the manga, wearing an outfit more fitting for a child.

She lifted her gaze from the manga, tearing her steel blue eyes from the pictures. "Senpai?" Her eyes turned into dinner plates and she let out a loud, almost-ridiculous, gasp. She tossed the book aside and jumped off her bed, landing in front of the silver haired boy. "Senpai! What are you doing here?" She giggled. _Naoto. Giggled. I... what?_

Yu gawked at her, his own eyes still wide and full of shock, his mouth left hanging open in utter bafflement. His Adam's Apple bobbed as he tried to form the right words. Naoto just laughed at the sight, and to his continued shock, she embraced him. She held him, laughing as her fingertips barely touched behind his back. "You're so big, Senpai! I can barely wrap my arms around you!" She laughed.

"N-Naoto?" He finally spoke, not that the name he had stuttered out could convey the whirlwind of emotion inside of him. He gently placed his hands on the sleuth's chest, pushing her off of him so that he could look her in the eye. She smiled, no, she was beaming at him. It was nothing like the intelligent and mature detective he had known before, but the eyes... The windows to her soul, they were the same.

It was so strange, an utter enigma, but it was as if the girl in front of him was Naoto and wasn't at the same time. As if, someone had put on a Naoto Shirogane costume and was wearing it for him, but they lacked the Detective Prince's physical mannerisms. Yet he stared into those eyes and he saw the detective. You can change someone's mannerisms, you can change their features, you can change their eye color, but you can't change a person's soul.

Yu knew that. Every Shadow they had encountered so far, no matter how different they acted, no matter what they looked like, they were still a part of the person they copied. He saw it when he looked them in the eye, each and every one. This was no different. The girl in front of him may not have acted like Naoto, but he still saw the girl when he gazed into her steely blue eyes. It was almost exactly like Naoto's Shadow...

None of this was making sense, but Yu didn't let that stop him. He wasn't who he was by letting mystery slow him down or throw him off. So instead, he put on a smile, small but genuine, cautious but real and he let his hands rest on Naoto's shoulders. He spoke slowly and carefully, a pleasant grin on his features. "Hey, Naoto. It's good to see you too. How are you?"

"Great! A little hungry. Head feels all wha-wha-wha-wha, but I'm okay!" Naoto held up her hands and wiggled her fingers to emphasize the 'wha-wha-wha-wha' effect, before snorting and laughing.

"I see. You've been a little out of it lately. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Tell you, Senpai? Hm..." She placed a finger to her chin and pondered the question, to Yu's confusion. This person, Naoto, was acting so unlike the Naoto he knew. She knew him, she trusted him, but she didn't act the same way the Detective Prince did. Instead, she acted almost... child-like. "Oh!" She snapped her finger. "There is! There is something I wanted to say to you!"

"Really? What is it, if I may ask?"

"Will you cook for me again?"

"E-excuse me?"

"Cook for me! I remember when you made some fried rice rolls for me at school! They were so delicious! Can we cook together and make something yummy? I have food stuff!" She held Yu's hand, tugging him along like Nanako would at Junes. She walked past the fallen books, scattered papers, and curious drawing from before, leading him into the kitchen.

"C-cook for you?" Yu blinked. This situation was getting more and more peculiar, but he didn't fight against her. His experience with Shadows, and with people in general, had taught him that it was better to go with a situation and learn than to lash out or demand answers. So he allowed himself to be pulled and led into the kitchen.

"Yeah! Can you? Can you?" She was skipping in place. Yu took a moment to look at her eyes. Those steel blue eyes were focused, but not like they normally were. They lacked the razor sharp edge her intellect gave her, or the sheen in her eyes that he noticed when she was thinking, and she was always thinking. The eyes were Naoto's, and yet they belonged to someone else entirely.

"Sure, Naoto."

"Yaaay!" She squealed, causing the young man to wince, before he watched her skip over to the fridge. She opened it with one hand, before motioning him over with a wide grin.

_That's Naoto, there's no doubt about it, but the way she's acting... I need to figure out what's going on._

* * *

Cooking turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Yu. He had time to think as he quietly made the pair of omelettes for himself and Naoto. He stood at the stove, keeping his back to her. He could hear her sitting in a chair, fidgeting like a child, tapping her fingers against the wooden table as she hummed to herself. When he spared a glance, he found her nibbling on a spoon. It was strangely adorable, but Yu kept himself on topic.

_Let's see what I can learn..._ "Naoto?"

"Hm?"

"How do you feel?" Yu spoke with the charisma and friendliness that most associated with him. He spoke with the voice that led random strangers to become close friends.

"Great! You're here!" Judging by her response, Naoto seemed to respond positively to his tone.

"I'm glad you enjoy my company, Naoto. I enjoy yours." Yu could hear the girlish giggle slip past her lips. He took a deep breath, ignoring how cute she sounded and focused on the matter at hand. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I was really worried when you sent that text this morning."

"Text? I didn't send a text."

"What?" He turned to her, his brow having vanished under his silver bangs. "You didn't? Then... Naoto, do you know where your phone is?"

"Nope." She shrugged her shoulders, seemingly unconcerned with the loss of her cellular device.

Yu's brow wrinkled and furrowed as he pulled away from the stove. He walked over over to Naoto, who suddenly resembled Nanako when her hand was caught in the cookie jar. She looked away, avoiding his commanding gaze. "Naoto, when did you last have your phone?"

"This talk isn't fun anymore, Senpai..."

Yu bit the inside of his lip, before nodding his head. "Okay. I'm sorry for scaring you." He gave an apologetic smile, and she glanced at him with fearful glance. Her pout turned upside down, into a wide grin. "Will you forgive me?"

"Of course, Senpai! You're my best friend!"

Yu didn't expect that. A faint blush formed on his cheeks as he replied, "I am? Really?" While it was true that Naoto was on friendlier terms with the Investigation Team, to go as far as to call him her best friend was still a startling revelation. "I would have assumed Rise or Kanji would be closer to you than myself."

"Rise's nice, but we don't really have anything to talk about... And Kanji's mean! Every time we talk, he doesn't even look at me!" Naoto's cheeks puffed up as she gave a childish pout.

_Oh, there's a reason for that, Naoto. Hm._ He looked at Naoto with sharp eyes, before turning back to finish the food. He looked out to the hallway, remembering the books scattered about. _Maybe there's a clue there? It's clear_ _Naoto knows something that she doesn't want to tell me. I hope I can convince her. I don't want to pressure her, but this is getting crazy... What's going on with her?_

* * *

Naoto was eating at the food Yu had made for her, allowing the silver haired youth to explore the apartment more closely. It also gave him the chance to clean the place for her. He ordered Naoto's various papers, placing individual cases into their properly labelled folders, before ordering them alphabetically. He placed the stack of folders and papers aside when he found the strange drawing again.

"Naoto, what's this?"

"Huh?" The sleuth stopped in the middle of chewing her food and smiled at the picture. She swallowed and stepped off of her chair to approach the silverette. "Oh! That's my drawing of the Phoenix Rangers!" She then took a fighting stance and began to flail her arms around. "Phoenix Rangers! Feathermen R!"

"Ah. It's quite good."

"Thanks!"

Yu thanked her and allowed her to return to the kitchen, fighting back the grin on his face. Naoto was rivaling Nanako in adorableness, but he kept his mind focused. He had a mystery on his hand and he was resolved to get to the bottom of it. _Maybe I should consider calling the others?_ The young man began to pick up the books he had found on the floor earlier and sort them out. He placed the detective novels on the nearby bookshelf and kept the anomalous books aside to read and examine. _Then again, I don't know how they'd react to Naoto acting like this, or how she'd react to them..._

"Huh?" One of the detective novels refused to go back in all the way. He pulled it out and noticed something was tucked into the very back of the bookshelf. He took out a few more books and, to his surprise, he found a small, opened bag of candy. He grabbed the bag and a couple of books before he walked back over to Naoto. "Naoto, is this candy yours?"

"Huh? Hey!" The blue haired sleuth giggled as she reached towards him, nearly leaning too far and falling off her seat. She plucked the bag from his hands and looking it over, careful not to spill any of the sweets. "You found my hidden candy! Good detective work, Senpai!"

"Hidden? You hide candy in your own home?" Yu looked at her with sharp, yet comforting eyes. There wasn't any hesitation, Naoto, this girl before him, trusted the young man.

She trusted him so much, she spoke honestly and truly, not even realizing the words that flowed from her lips until they were long passed. "Yep. If I don't, she steals them and throws them away. She says they're bad for us." Naoto could see her friend contemplate her words, before she was struck with a harsh realization. "I-I mean-"

"Naoto..." Yu tore his gaze away from her and opened one of the books. A mere glance at the inside of the cover confirmed his fears. He moved his eyes back to her. She trembled at his silver gaze. "I think I understand why you're acting..." He hesitated for a moment, searching for the correct word, only for Naoto to finish for him.

"So unlike her?" She sounded so scared. Her steel blue eyes were shimmering from the forming tears. "You're wondering, why am I broken?" Her own words hammered at the dam holding back her tears. She let out a broken, unsteady gasp. before releasing an equally stuttering sigh . "You must be thinking... w-who is this girl in front of me? She's not Naoto. She's nothing like her. She's immature, and childish, and stupid, and- and- and-"

The chair groaned against the tiled floor as Yu stood up. He moved closer to the now sobbing girl and bent down on one knee, hands on her shoulders. She seemed so small, like a child... "I could never think that. I don't... I don't know who exactly you are, but I can promise you, I don't think you're broken or stupid."

"You don't mean that."

"I do, though. You know me. You know I'm not a fan of lying."

"Heh... Y-you're a truth seeker! Like her," she hiccuped through her tears. He nodded his head, before standing up.

She looked at him like a deer in headlights, staring with such a mix of awe and fear. He tried to ease her tension with a smile, but it wasn't enough this time. He let out a quiet, melancholic sigh, before he spoke. "I think I understand. The book was the final nail. It mentioned Dissociative Identity Disorder, or multiple personality disorder. A mental disorder-" He saw her flinch at the words and he instantly felt a sense of guilt for it, but he still carried on "-that is characterized by the presence of two or more personality states."

The girl sitting before him, threw herself at the older boy. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as tightly as she could as she sobbed into his chest. Yu didn't even blush, merely returning the embrace just enough to give her the safety she desired. He squeezed her lithe frame, and for the first time, he realized just how small and vulnerable Naoto looked. They stood there for a long moment.

Yu couldn't help but be reminded of Naoto's Shadow. The sobbing child, lonely and terrified, pleading for others to stay. She didn't want to be alone. Yu was reminded of that as the tiny girl in his arms pulled him even closer, pressing her entire frame against him. He also saw Nanako in her. A child left alone, terrified and lost in a world that seemed too big for her, that drowned her. The resemblance just pushed him to help her more.

"It's going to be okay..."

"Y-you can't say that!" Her voice was on the verge of screaming, her weeping made it impossible for her to sound strong or commanding. Instead, she came off as desperate and pitiable. She tried to pull back, only to find Yu's embrace was as tight as it was warm. She whimpered, letting out a high pitch wail as she wiped her running nose against his chest. "You can't! You don't- you don't know how bad it's been..."

"Then show me."

The words hit like a hammer. They hung in the air as the 'alternate' Naoto tried to understand the words. It hit like a train, a tremendous shot to her heart. She swore, it skipped a beat as she fell quiet in his embrace. The only sound was the soft patter of rain outside as she took slow, gasping breaths. Yu never budged. He kept her safe in his arms, looking at her with a gentle stare.

"I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to, but I want to understand... all of this. If I'm going to do that, I need to hear both sides."

Logical. Simple. Calm. If the girl in his arms was Naoto Shirogane, the same one he had met and fought beside, she would have agreed. But she wasn't that Naoto. She was a hysterical, trembling, emotional child, who only saw what she felt, not caring about what was logical or right. "You don't... you don't understand. She hates me, because I'm not her... You must hate me too..."

"Naoto, I-"

She broke free and shoved him away, watching him stumble back as she cried. "You do! You want the real Naoto Shirogane! You want her, not me! Not her Shadow!" Her eyes were puffy, and almost looked bloodshot, from her weeping. She let out a hiccup as she fought back another waterfall of tears. "You.. you don't want me because I'm not the Naoto you know. You don't want me, because I'm not Naoto, but I am! I'm a part of her too, but she doesn't want me! No one wants me! You want to leave me too, don't you?! Everyone does!"

"That's not true!" He hated shouting, but he had to stop her before she descended into a spiral of self hatred and misery. That, and he honestly couldn't stand the sight of his friend in so much pain, even if the person he was talking to only looked like Naoto. He had to help her, had to remind her that she wasn't alone. She fell silent, frozen at the sudden outburst. He approached her and she didn't pull away, not even when he lifted his hand to brush the tears away. "I think you're as much Naoto as the one I met is, and I don't hate you. You're my friend, just as much as Yosuke is, or Kanji, or-"

"Naoto?"

"Yes. You're just as much my friend as Naoto..." There was a silence again, but this time the alternate Naoto didn't make a noise. He opened his arms and gently embraced her again, but she didn't return it.

_I have to help her._ It was stupid. He knew next to nothing about Dissociative Identity Disorder, beyond basic facts. Every depiction of it on TV was about how there was the normal, 'good' half and the new personality was a dangerous serial killer, yet this wasn't the case. Yu considered himself an observant person. He was skilled at reading others. When he looked at the girl in his arms, the one that shared Naoto's face, he knew he could trust her. She wasn't anything like the people he saw on TV.

She wasn't a murderer. No, she was scared and lonely, and all she wanted was a friend.

He had to help her.

"She wants to kill me, you know..."

"What...?"

"Naoto... The... the real Naoto." She inhaled a shaky breath, before looking into his silver irises. "She hates me... She wants me to go away... She wants me to die, even though she made me." She smiled at the silver haired man, and that scared him. She was smiling, despite the obvious agony in her voice and behind those tired eyes. "If- if I die, Senpai. I want you to know that-"

"You won't die." _W-wait._ "I won't let her kill you." _I can't promise this. It's Naoto's mind, I-_ "I'm going to talk to Naoto, and we're going to work this out. I promise." _It's her mind, but this girl... She isn't a threat or a Shadow or anything like we've seen before. She isn't going to hurt anyone! Damn it, I have to try..._

The blue haired girl stared at him, taken back by his words. She let out a melancholic laugh, before nodding her head. "You're the first person I've ever really spoken to. The only others that have seen me are the people at the bookstore when I bought those mangas." She lifted her hand and gently placed it on the older boy's cheek. "If I could only meet one person before I died, I'm glad it was you."

Before another word was uttered, she pulled away and began to walk. Her steps were heavy and slow, carrying fear and worry on her back, but she carried on. Yu followed and offered what support he could. He offered his hand, gently grazing it against her own. She took it without a moment's hesitation, intertwining her fingers with his.

"I think my name can be... Nao. You can call me Nao-chan, if we ever see each other again." They came to the bedroom, where they had first met, and she looked at him with a reluctant smile.

"Nao-chan. I like it. It sounds cute." He felt a faint warmth on his cheeks as the bluette hugged him one last time, but he returned it with the same warmth and kinship as before. "We will meet again. I promise."

"You're nice... I can see why she likes you."

"Huh?" Her body went limp in his arms, almost as if she had fainted. He held her, cradling her motionless body in his arms, before he gently laid her down on her bed. Yu touched her cerulean bangs, stroking the hair with careful grace as he observed her sleeping face. Her eyes were shut and her breath was slow. He felt his fingertips brush against her cheek as he wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into. It took less than a moment to remember.

_I'm helping my friend._ It was all he needed, and with that simple statement, his resolve became unbreakable. Whatever happened, he was going to help, not only Naoto, but his new friend Nao-chan. _Somehow._

**END**


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